Dark Funeral
Necropolis Records
Formed in 1993 right around the time that
Scandinavian black metal was really catching
on, Dark Funeral immediately
established itself as one of the most important
bands in the genre. While many black metal
bands were moving towards an increasing use
of chilly synthesized textures, Dark
Funeral eschewed eerie dark ambient
moodiness in favor of a full-force vile rock
assault. The anti-Christian sentiments and
preoccupation with Satan which so many
associate with black metal are fully in evidence
here in their music, however.
Led by the incomparably evil guitarist Lord
Ahriman, Dark Funeral has
endured a number of lineup shifts throughout
the years, but remained committed to creating
some of the darkest and most frightening
sounds in the history of music. For many fans,
Dark Funeral's first two releases, the
Dark Funeral EP (1994) and The
Secrets of the Black Arts (1996), are their
most essential. But over the years, the band
has only grown more adept at suffusing its
heavy metal horror show with even more grisly
blackness, as its newest release, 2001's In
the Sign, will demonstrate. Featuring "Open
the Gates," In the Sign is a heart
attack-inducing exercise in sheer sonic terror.
Jesse Ashlock
last updated:
08/31/01
